Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1887-09-24

this Confounded coast "f Brittany, even i'll
summer time
We got into the carriage, and as ! had a
good horse we soon got over the road
leading from Quimper To Douarnenez.
There each attended TO his business, and
after breakfast we started for Audierne.
The day was becoming excessively hot.
Before leaving BeChArd had said: WAIT
until change my breeches -
''Pshaw, replied l. lit is hardly worth
the while. Besides, my horse is harnessed,
and the flies are worrying him. As he is
very high spirited | fear he may play us
some ugly trick
We got into the carriage and started of
again.
We had not been under way half an
hour before Bechard began moaning.
II am so hot said he that feel just
rs II | were boiling in my own juice"
In fact. the suns rays seemed to have
coated the earth with molten lead. More
over, Bechard and had our legs hermet-
ically closed in under the thick leather
carriage apron. With his winter panta-
looms on. Bechard must have been suffer
ing untold agonies.
.'Ha' hs'' thought !, concealing my
satisfaction. This is the foretaste of re-
venge, anyhow
81 say" observed Bechard at the same
instant, It's this blasted apron that is
keeping us so hot Suppose We try to
raise it
"All right. replied !, ''let us try"
We raised the apron.
Twill not do" said l. lyon see
yourself that with it raised I shall not be
able to handle the reins."
We put IL back again. There was long
interval of silence. Bechard was between
a stew and sweat, while was slyly fol-
lowing ~, the threads of an idea that my
brain had just evolved.
by jingo! l can't stand them any
longer" said Bechard.
What" queried l.
my brecches, of course"
"Well, if they bother you SO much as
all that, why don't you take them offs
Nobody will see you"
That's an idea exclaimed Bechard
"And a good one. | assure you. speak
from experience, rs have done so myself
more than twenty times
Honestly speaking"
"Ies, pledge you my word Of honor"
We'll. then, here goes"
And in one time and two motions
Bechard took of his pantaloons, folded
them carefully and sat down on them
with n sigh Of relief
From that moment his humor was most
charming With a slight touch Of irony
in his voice. he inquired II had slept well
the night before
II slept very soundly." replied I.
l carefully noted the mile stones at the
side of the road Audierne was barely
more than two kilometers away. waited
few minutes longer. Suddenly, rs l
stretched forth my arm to touch up the
horse, my whip slipped from my hand and
dropped to the ground.
My whip cried l.
Has it fallen' Well, get down and
get it"
..And my horse,'
Il will hold him."
NO, indeed. He is too restive He
seems to obey no other hand but mine"
What shall We do, them
won't you get it for mes''
Certainly, but wait till slip on my
pantaloons.
What is the uses There is not even a
cat to be seen anywhere within two kilo-
meters Of this place"
All right, wait u minute"
And Bechard, unsuspecting Bechard,
jumped out Of the carriage to the road.
Hardly had he touched the earth than l
gave a slight twitch TO the reins and my
horse started off like lightning.
Hey! Hey" howled Bechard in hor-
rified voice
did not hear him long, as my horse,
urged on by my voice. Was running at q
fearful rate Of speed
But, through the little glass in the rear
Of the vehicle. | could see the unfortunate
man brandishing in despair the whip,
which he had picked up AID stretching
his bare legs as fast as he could along the
dusty road. Oh, what a funny sight my
friend Bech8rd furnished me with.
relished my cruel joy until reached
the principal houses Of Audierne, as l
carried my vengeance so far as to drive u
good distance up the main street. Here,
At last, checked my horse and waited.
1t would be no easy task TO describe the
astonishment Of the good people Of
that city, when they saw coming a
sweating, blowing. fuming and swear
ing stranger, noble looking, with
a hat on his head, jacket on his
back, . whip in hand, but entirely want
ing in neither garments. The women OF
the place ran off, cackling like a lot Of
frightened hens, while the excited men,
mistakin9 the queer visitor for a lunatic,
were on the point of mobbing him. Be
chard had barely time to leap into the
carriage, and I really believe that II he
had not been aware of the fact that was
the stronger of the two he would have
tried to strangle me.
''You would hardly believe" said
friend Doublure, in concluding his rela-
tion, that he has sworn an implacable
hatred against me, and has never forgiven
me for having made him enter Alderne
in that simple costume, with linen flying
in the breeze. And yet they had a good
laugh over it in the town.
The ungrateful wretch! After that,
what inducement is there for fellow to
help friend in scoring a success'-Trans-
lated from the French of Joseph Montet
for The Times-Democrat
Origin Of monte Crisso.'
An autograph letter OF Balzac has Just
been made public which tells that he once
dreamed OF great treasure being buried in